


Halt Gets Answers

by bangtan_sinyeondan



Series: Will and Halt sitting in a tree [1]
Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 23:47:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11839557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bangtan_sinyeondan/pseuds/bangtan_sinyeondan
Summary: Something is off about Will. He has been different sense Skandia. Halt is determined to find out what really happened.





	Halt Gets Answers

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work. Please tell me what you liked and what you didn't. :) Follow me on Tumblr: Awesometaco148!

Something was wrong. Halt had recognized it immediately after they got back to the cabin. Will was hesitant and reluctant, almost… afraid of him, he realized. He was avoiding Halt. His smiles were fake. There was no curiosity in his eyes. Yes, he still asked questions, but it was plain as day to Halt that he wasn’t actually interested in the answers. There was a burning light of determination during training. Will overworked himself; he got up before dawn and did his chores and practiced. Halt wasn’t even sure that Will always ate his meals. Something was definitely wrong. Halt decided that he was going to find out what, no matter what Will tried to hide from him. Halt would get answers.  
The first few grey shafts of light streamed into the windows from Halt’s bedroom. Halt went into the kitchen to get his coffee with honey. On the way he passed Will’s room, stopping to look. The bed was made, everything was in order. He’s probably out practicing. Halt got his coffee and sat on the verandah, looking towards the archery range. Strange. Will wasn’t there. Halt finished his drink and looked around the house. Having a vague idea about where Will might be, he grabbed his bow and quiver, then donned his cloak. Stepping outside, Halt saddled Abelard and rode towards Castle Redmont.  
It was midday when Halt found Will. The young apprentice was where he had suspected, in the old fig tree near the wards. Halt silently climbed up the tree to the spot where Will sat, deep in thought. “Will.” The boy exclaimed in surprise and fear. Halt sighed inwardly. He wished he knew what was going on. He wished he could help, or take away the fear, or just do something to make Will feel better. But he couldn’t. Halt forced himself to calm down. Getting angry wasn’t going to fix anything. The point was that Will needed him. “Halt! I’m so sorry I just needed to be alone for a while and I knew this place and I wasn’t thinking and-” Will’s rambling was cut short by a hand clamped firmly on his mouth. “Will.” Halt chose his words carefully and put emphasis on every word. “It’s okay. I need to be alone sometimes too. Now, can we go back to the cabin?” They rode back on Abelard in uncomfortable silence. When they got back, Will immediately headed to the cabin  
Halt put a firm hand on Will’s shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, Will. We need to talk.” He led them inside and sat Will on the couch. “Why are you afraid of me, Will?” Halt asked quietly. “What!” Will scoffed. “Halt, I am not afraid of you in the slightest.” Halt raised an eyebrow. How could Will lie to him without even the smallest trace of guilt in his eyes? Where was the cheerful, inquisitive, honest Will he used to know? “Will, don’t lie to me. You are afraid of something. What is it?” He was getting frustrated now. “I told you, Halt. I am no-” His sentence was cut short by Halt’s steady eyes centimeters away from his own. “Do. Not. Lie. To. Me. What happened? Is this about something that happened in Skandia? Will flinched at the mention of Skandia. “So it is Skandia.” Halt murmured under his breath. “Did they do something to you? Tell me the story.” Seeing Will’s expression he added, “The whole story.”   
So Will began his story. “Ok. The Skandians knew the winter storms were coming so they took us to this island for the winter.” He recounted the whole story to Halt, about the paddles, the warmweed, Evenlyn taking him to the mountain hunters’ lodge, and how he had gotten whipped. At the mention of this, Halt’s eyes flared. “They did WHAT? Show me.” Slowly, Will turned around. He lifted his shirt and Halt gasped softly. There were long scars running down the length of his back. “Will…” His voice trailed off. This was his fault. If he hadn’t sent Will to Celtica this never would never have happened. Seeing these scars, Halt’s eyes brimmed with tears. Not knowing what to say, he wrapped his arms around the apprentice. Will was surprised when he felt a teardrop hit his shoulder, mixed with one of his own sliding down his cheek. They sat like that for a long time; Halt silently struggling to keep his composure in check, Will just letting himself be enveloped in warmth.  
Will fluttered his eyes open. He realized that he must have fallen asleep on the couch after telling his story to Halt. Halt! Will was laying on top of him. Halt must have felt me fall asleep and held me until he eventually did, too. Will gently slid off of him, not making a sound. He set himself to doing his chores, then making coffee and breakfast. Behind him, he felt Halt stir. “Good morning Halt.” He said, setting down the plates of food in front of him and Halt, then started eating. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. “Did you sleep well? Halt recounted the previus night in his head, remembering how he had declared Will to be his honorary son. “Yes.” He was surprised to discover he meant it.


End file.
